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A Few Thoughts On Oscar Night Fashions And Other Foolishness

Jennifer Lawrence wore Calvin Klein.
Jason Merritt
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Getty Images
Jennifer Lawrence wore Calvin Klein.
Melissa Leo wore lace to the Oscars, possible comparisons to housewares be damned.
Jason Merritt / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Melissa Leo wore lace to the Oscars, possible comparisons to housewares be damned.

Actress Hailee Steinfeld helped design her frothy Marchesa gown.
Matt Sayles / AP
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AP
Actress Hailee Steinfeld helped design her frothy Marchesa gown.

Jennifer Hudson was a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony.
Matt Sayles / AP
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AP
Jennifer Hudson was a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony.

Sandra Bullock wore red.
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Sandra Bullock wore red.

[If you can't get enough red carpet fashions — or to see some of the gowns not pictured here — check out our red-carpet slideshow or the blog at Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!, where they covered the fashions last night as well. And now, over to NPR Digital News editor Tanya Ballard Brown, who helpfully offered to talk about Sunday night's fashions.]

Now that the awards have all been handed out, I wanted to share a few final thoughts about the red carpet looks for this year's Academy Awards.

Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone wore a red Calvin Klein dress that made her look like a Baywatchbabe. She went minimal with the jewelry, but she really could have used dangling from her arm to finish the look.

Thank you, Mila Kunis, for the flowy, romantic, lilac-colored Elie Saab — LOVED IT! This Black Swanstar is no ugly duckling.

The Fighter's Melissa Leo is a good-looking woman. Unfortunately, her Marc Bouwer dress distracted from her beauty with all the lace. It looked like a doily, which is okay for my Grandpa's armchair, but really not okay for an Academy Awards dress.

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa? THAT is what a young lady should look like. She washed that True Gritoff and cleaned up real nice.

Michelle Williams in Chanel. Classy. Elegant. Okay, I didn't see Blue Valentine, so I got nothing. Well, there is this: she, like me, seemed puzzled by the questions Ryan Seacrest asked her on the red carpet.

L'Wren Scott designed Amy Adams'ssparkly blue gown, but I don't understand the necklace she chose to wear with it. Nevertheless, Adams was "more present" than she has ever been before. At least that's what she told Seacrest. I don't know what that means. [Shrug.]

Jennifer Hudson! Versace in tangerine orange with purple shoes? DO THAT!

Sigh. Cate Blanchett.Her Givenchy dress looked like a kindergarten art project with painted popcorn stuck to it.

Gwyneth Paltrow before the 83rd Academy Awards on Feb. 27.
Chris Pizzello / AP
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AP
Gwyneth Paltrow before the 83rd Academy Awards on Feb. 27.

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang would have looked great, except for the butt bow. Why was there a butt bow, Miss Congeniality?

Legally Blonde was sooooo last decade, and it's unclear to me why Reese Witherspoondecided to take inspiration from Elle Woods for her red carpet look.

I feel pretty certain Nicole Kidmanthought she was headed to the Country Music Awards, so I will give her a pass.

Finally, Gwyneth Paltrowgets best dressed for the night. Any dress that could make you look away from the orange hue of her self-tanner must be congratulated.

That said, I could be wrong! Tell us what looks you loved and hated down in the comments.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tanya Ballard Brown is an editor for NPR. She joined the organization in 2008.